One of the more polarizing bands, as far as indie rock fans are concerned, is the Grateful Dead. But despite all the hipsters who want to make sure no one thinks they're hippies, there's a big chunk of the indie community who actually likes this band, so it's pretty cool that The National have gathered members from a bunch of great indie bands -- Vampire Weekend, The War on Drugs, Bon Iver, The Walkmen, and Kurt Vile & the Violators -- to participate in a Grateful Dead tribute album, as Relix reports. (They announced it yesterday [8/1], aka Jerry Garcia's birthday.)

Like Dark was the Night, which The National's Dessner brothers also curated, this will benefit AIDS organization Red Hot. But unlike that one, which was a compilation, this one "will hone in on a few all-star ensembles assembled for the project as well as select featured guests." The Relix article continues:

The Dessners also cite Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan as big-name indie guitarists with an affinity for the Dead who'd fit on the album. In 2012, Aaron Dessner, The Walkmen's Walter Martin and the Devendorf brothers performed with Bob Weir at benefit show held at the Dead guitarist's TRI Studios. Vampire Weekend's Chris Tomson has also performed with Weir at TRI while The War on Drugs regularly cover "Touch of Grey." As they mention in the September issue of Relix, the Dessners riffed on "Eyes of the World" for eight hours during their first jam session with Bryan Devendorf in middle school."

"There are all kind of corners of the musical world that are deeply influenced by the Dead that one wouldn't expect," Bryce Dessner says. "Lee Ranaldo is a crazy Deadhead. So that was part of the idea but I think it is broader than that now. Jerry Garcia was a total cat."

Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestrajust announced two Best Buy Theater shows (11/29-30). Tickets for those are on sale now.

Onetime Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart is taking his Mickey Hart Band to Port Chester's Capitol Theatre on September 21. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter is playing a few Northeast shows this year, including 9/26 at The Paramount (tickets), 10/5 at Capitol Theatre (tickets), and 10/10 at Town Hall (tickets). All dates are listed below.

The Dead are the one band I wish I had not dismissed for so long based solely on their fans and the caricature rumors created about them. I'm 31 and I never dared to listen to them until I was almost 30 - now I can't get enough. Anyone who isn't a believer, just listen to American Beauty. It's the easiest and most beautiful introduction to the band - I think, as it was for me.

The Dead are one of the best and most important American rock bands of all time. They are labeled a jam band but a lot of their music would be labeled Americana if released today, especially the 5 albums or so they put out 1970-72, including the 1st Garcia lp and Weir's Ace lp, which is one of the best 2-3 year output of any American band ever.

That being said The National will probably butcher this whole thing. Members of Vampire Weekend? Why?

There have been countless Grateful Dead tribute albums in the past, the best of which is probably Deadicated from 1991, featuring Elvis Costello, Warren Zevon, Midnight Oil, Dr. John, and others. Why this current group want to reinvent the wheel is, well, pretty clueless.

Don't stereotype. I'm an old punk and I love the Dead. "Ripple" is one of the prettiest songs I've ever heard. When they get into a jug band/ bluegrass thing they are at their best. And their early stuff with Pigpen was great, esp, "Lovelight" on Live/Dead. And some of their electronic/ feedback shit sounds exactly like what a lot of bands are doing today. Not into hippie shit just great music.

Yeah, the Dead gets a bad rap among punk and rocker types, and did do some great music, but let's be real, some pretty bad stuff too.

The fact that they're more associated with creating "trustifarian" culture than anyone else is the biggest black mark against them.

Lots of those same rich kids have now moved on to ruin American underground (formerly known as "indie") music, and some of the worst offenders appear here. Bon Iver? The National? Even Phil Collins and Steve Winwood think you guys are pussies. If you're going to ape Top 40 from the '80s, one of the low points of pop music, at least have hooks.

1130 You are the idiot. "is one of the best 2-3 year output of any American band ever" Yes CCR would be another.

1222 "The fact that they're more associated with creating "trustifarian" culture" Where do you get this stupidity from? "but let's be real, some pretty bad stuff too" Like most bands that were around for a long time, not everything was top notch but pretty bad? Explain. "American underground" ha ha. There is no such thing.

i've tried listening to the dead in every decade of my existence (about 4 now), and they still continue to be one of the most deadly boring, overrated bands of all time. additionally, they have inspired countless other infinitely boring, overrated bands.

Hey 2:57 if you're disputing that the Dead cultivated an audience of spoiled rich "hippies" living on trust funds, and have released hours of terrible music, you're living in the dark.

And if you don't think that there's been a vibrant American popular music underground (that the Dead themselves were a part of in the mid/late sixties, and ultimately became one of the things the underground rebelled against), you need to do some reading and research.

1107 You are a clueless idiot. You have no idea what you are talking about. "The fact that they're more associated with creating "trustifarian" culture than anyone else is the biggest black mark against them." I think they are known for music by most people except fools like you. How exactly does a band "cultivate an audience of spoiled rich "hippies" living on trust funds"? How is that done? Please explain!
I'm not the biggest Dead fan but hours of terrible music? I'm sure millions of fans would disagree.
As for the "American Underground", the internet pretty much killed that.

love the Dead. sometimes they sounded amazing, occasionally they sounded awful (looking at you Donna)...the question is does anyone really need to hear a mediocre tribute to them done by a bunch of indie rock dudes? the answer is no.

Hey now, I LOVE this TRI recording of one of my favorite songs to sing & jam out too...especially the ending:) I won't entertain the few haters below because I saw 8 years of shows beg in 1989 & this song touched EVERYONE <3 We love you Bobby & thank you for dedicating your life to making amazing music...even at TRI...I love seeing this so closely! Long live the Grateful Dead! Peace & Love <3﻿